Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

[Dan Limb]

Sorry, but I can't find my battalion drill manual...

I have been researching the drill maneuver, "Change Front Forward on the First Company", and I would love to see it utilized out here in the PNW. It seems pretty straight forward (really just Forward Into Line with a few changes), but I have not yet discovered how to change front forward on the left flank. Changing front on the first company is simple. No matter the battalion size, you always have a first company. Continuing with the original wording, common sense tells me that the command would be: "Change Front Forward on the 10th Company, MARCH".

Question 1: What is the proper command for deployment on the left?
Question 2: Since we rarely have a battalion of 10 companies, would the command be adjusted to the number of companies?

I would love for our battalion to get away from our improvised "Dorf on Drill" battalion wheel!

Thank you,

Dan Limb
2nd Virginia Infantry
Co. F "Winchester Rifles"

[john duffer]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

CASEY'S - SOB, Paragraph 850 - says:

"The colonel will cause the battalion to change front forward on the eighth** company, according to the same principles and by inverse means."

**Casey originally wrote with the idea there would be eight line companies and two flank/skirmisher companies (in practice this wasn't done). So if there are five companies in the battalion it's "Change front forward on fifth company"

[AttnBattn]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

As John Duffer indicated, it is simply a mirror movement of changing front forward on the first or rightmost company. The colonel will inform the captain of the leftmost company that he wishes to change front forward on the leftmost company, whatever its number may be, at which point the captain of that company will wheel his company to the left. When that is completed the colonel will command "Change front forward on the "x" company. By company left half wheel, march." Each company will wheel on a fixed pivot; when the colonel is satisfied that the companies have wheeled into eschelon to his satisfaction he will command "Forward, march. Guide left." At this point, the colonel is done, and the successive movement is to be completed by the captains. As each company unmasks itself, its captain commands "Left turn, march." The men turn to the left (turn, not wheel), the captain halts his company 3 paces from the new line of battle. The guides of the first company (or the general guides if general guides are in use) will establish the new line. On the captain's command halt, the right guide (1st Sgt.) will post himself on the line established by the guides, taking care to guage the length of his company and place himself where one of the two or three rightmost files should rest. The captain will then left dress his company, post himself on its right, and he may place the men at support arms.

The ability to change front, both forward (in advance of the initail line of battle) and to the rear (behind the initial line of battle) (and to effect both 90 degree and oblique movements) is very handy in positioning an infantry battalion and is a fatigue-reducer for the men. If the captains and 1st and 2nd Sgts. understand what their jobs are, these movements are actually fairly simple, and can be executed quickly.

Dave Neel

[Dan Limb]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

Thank you for the info!

I was reading David G. Martin's book on the 1st Day of Gettysburg on remember a few accounts of Federal colonels using this manuever while engaged. It seemed to me that it had to be a straightforward and reasonably simple function in order to be done at such a relatively close interval to an attacking enemy. I have recently loaned out the book, and will post a reference when I can.

I hope to "sell" this to our battalion staff in the upcoming season. We can finally perform Forward Into Line with reasonable ease, and this would be a useful maneuver to augment that.

Thanks Again

Dan Limb

[Silas]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

Dan,

What people don't realize is that Forward Into Line is a fairly difficult manoeuver. Pull out a manual, walk through each of the commands, then think how your batt'n performs Forward Into Line. Here's a quick link to my battalion manual with period illustration and a summary of commands below the illustration : http://44tennessee.tripod.com/2ColAoTmanual.pdf

The guide of the battalion should be on the left, but yours is always on the right. This will create a huge traffic jam once the half wheels begin because the pivot should be on the straight edge of the battalion, not the jagged edge.

It is the battalion commander, not the individual company commanders, who gives the command for the companies to move By Company, Left Half Wheel. When he issues the command of execution, the companies commence their wheels at the same moment. In your battalion, the wheels don't commence until each company commander gets around to making the order. All your commander says is, "Forward Into Line!" That's all. No command of execution. There's no peremptory command to the companies that they will need to commence their half wheels or when to commence. The timing becomes scarily off.

Then there's the Right Turn. The entire company doesn't double quick to the battalion line. It's only the men on the left side of the individual companies who have to double quick. Once they reach the line formed by the right guide of the company - the first sergeant - the men return to old fashioned quick time.

I haven't seen "reasonable ease" in your battalion. With the pivot occurring on the wrong side of the battalion, with the timing of the wheels thrown all helter skelter and with some companies on the left arriving on the battalion line faster than some on the right, the entire manoeuver is bloody chaos. I point this out, Dan, because many battalions do it the same way, and members wonder why they look more like the Keystone Cops than soldiers when trying to perform Forward Into Line.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

What people don't realize is that Forward Into Line is a fairly difficult manoeuver.

I would disagree with that. Forward Into Line is probably my favorite battalion maneuver! As long as the companies can execute wheels and turns well, they have knowledgeable sergeants, and they listen to the instructions from their commanders, then it can be done without a hitch after a couple of tries.

[Dan Limb]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

Dan,

What people don't realize is that Forward Into Line is a fairly difficult manoeuver. Pull out a manual, walk through each of the commands, then think how your batt'n performs Forward Into Line. Here's a quick link to my battalion manual with period illustration and a summary of commands below the illustration : http://44tennessee.tripod.com/2ColAoTmanual.pdf

The guide of the battalion should be on the left, but yours is always on the right. This will create a huge traffic jam once the half wheels begin because the pivot should be on the straight edge of the battalion, not the jagged edge.

It is the battalion commander, not the individual company commanders, who gives the command for the companies to move By Company, Left Half Wheel. When he issues the command of execution, the companies commence their wheels at the same moment. In your battalion, the wheels don't commence until each company commander gets around to making the order. All your commander says is, "Forward Into Line!" That's all. No command of execution. There's no peremptory command to the companies that they will need to commence their half wheels or when to commence. The timing becomes scarily off.

Then there's the Right Turn. The entire company doesn't double quick to the battalion line. It's only the men on the left side of the individual companies who have to double quick. Once they reach the line formed by the right guide of the company - the first sergeant - the men return to old fashioned quick time.

I haven't seen "reasonable ease" in your battalion. With the pivot occurring on the wrong side of the battalion, with the timing of the wheels thrown all helter skelter and with some companies on the left arriving on the battalion line faster than some on the right, the entire manoeuver is bloody chaos. I point this out, Dan, because many battalions do it the same way, and members wonder why they look more like the Keystone Cops than soldiers when trying to perform Forward Into Line.

Note that I used the term "reasonable ease" as opposed to "considerable ease" or "exceptional ease". What I mean by "reasonable ease" is that we are able to perform the maneuver with some decent semblance of a battle line. There is much left to accomplish, yes, but it is a great start. I read about the guide left principle a month or so ago, and think it will be a quick fix to the problem you mentioned. At least I hope it will. Alignment is everything in battalion drill, and it makes sense to lock that down before we can perform it with "considerable ease". As I understand it, the btn commander should give the command "Guide Left" after "by Companies into Line" and before "Forward Into Line". The problem is, all too often they assume the each company should automatically guide left after going into column of companies without a direct order from the colonel.

I am compiling a list of a few drill maneuvers and points of correction that I hope to talk to the SGM about in the coming season. He is a reasonable man, and certainly ammenable to battalion drill improvements. I may be a junior officer, but I am calling this my grass roots approach to btn drill improvement. The Keystone Cops description is all too often frighteningly accurate...call me a fool, but I hope to help change that early this season.

YHS,

Dan Limb
2nd Virginia

[Silas]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

You called it correctly, Dan. There is no automatic dress left after the companies form into column. The general rule is that guide is left when the column is right in front, but there are times when the guide must be on the right such as when the column goes Head of Column to the Left.

One has to have faith that the battalion commander knows what he is doing. Unfortunately, some commanders don't.

Good luck beating your head against the pirate ship, Dan. Like your own captain, I've given up trying to straighten that ship. Maybe they'll let you command the drill at your next local event. Now there's an idea worth discussing.

[rebel7458]

Re: Drill Question: Change Front Forward...on the left?

"Like your own captain, I've given up trying to straighten that ship". Oh, now Silas. Never give up the ship! All we can do is to continually teach our own men correctly (and suggest on the side to those battalions we may fall in with when we're not with our own battalions). I still believe that the men (even commanders of most battalions) want to do the right thing. I've had good luck with some battalions that go Forward into Line in the manner described above. A polite conversation with the battalion commander (obviously away from the trooops) explaining why he has to command the wheels and forward often is well received (of course, not always depending on the egos of course). All we can do is continue to carry the torch, er manual...
Greg Van Wey